This invention pertains to a swab for cleaning. More particularly, the present invention pertains to a swab having a cleaning portion formed from spiral wrapped foam and a method for making swabs.
Swabs are used in all manners of cleaning. For example, everyone will recognize common cotton tipped swabs that are used for person hygiene and care. Because of the compact and effective nature of these swabs, they have been adopted for use in numerous areas of technology and manufacture. One such area is the manufacture of electrical components and more specifically connectors for use in the telecommunications industry.
One particular type of connector used in the telecommunications industry is for use in fiber optic cables. In splicing or connecting fiber optic cable sections to one another, a connector is used. A typical connector includes a male portion and a female portion. During the manufacture of these cable sections, it is not unusual for pieces of manufacturing debris, such as pieces of fiber or fiber coating debris to be left within the ends of the connectors. It is also not unusual for light oils, such as fingerprint and other natural skin oils to be found on the parts in the ends of the connectors. As will be recognized by those skilled in the art, this debris and the oils can significantly degrade or prevent the transmission capabilities of the cables across the connectors.
Numerous types of cleaning implements have been used, with some degrees of success, to clean these particularly susceptible areas. It has, however, been observed that cleaning implements formed from non-particulate removing materials may not be acceptable for use in these connectors. Specifically, it has been found that particulates can become lodged in and around the connectors, thus adversely effecting the quality of the telecommunications signal.
In addition, it has been observed that these connectors can vary from one type to another. For example, the connector female end can be formed as having a flat inner end surface, a concave surface or a convex surface. To this end, it has been found that regardless of the type of cleaning implement used, debris that settles into and around comers and oils that are present in these areas of the connector devices cannot be adequately removed.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a swab-type cleaning device that can be used for cleaning connectors. Desirably, such a device leaves little to no residue from the device within the connector. Most desirably, such a cleaning device removes particulate contaminants and light oils (e.g., fingerprint oils) and can be used to clean comer surfaces within the connector to remove essentially all manufacturing or other debris.
A swab for use in cleaning electrical connectors and in particular connectors for fiber optic cables includes an elongated handle defining a longitudinal axis and having a cleaning head end and a grasping end. A wrapped foam cleaning end is formed from an elongated strip of microporous foam. The foam is spiral wound about the cleaning head end of the handle, and forms a substantially flat cleaning end.
In a preferred embodiment, the elongated strip of microporous foam is formed having a tapered end and the tapered end lies adjacent the cleaning head end of the handle. Preferably, the taper is formed at an angle of about 10 degrees to about 15 degrees and most preferably about 12 degrees. Most preferably, the tapered end terminates in a rounded tip portion that is affixed to the cleaning head end. In this manner, the tapered end defines a tapered edge that is positioned so as to wrap around the handle at the cleaning head end.
In the preferred embodiment, a free end of the microporous foam is secured, at least in part, onto itself, distal from the clean head end. At the cleaning head end, the tip is secured to the handle by heating the handle to softening and contacting the foam to the handle. The foam is secured to itself at the free end by searing.
A method of forming the swab includes the steps of providing an elongated handle having a longitudinal axis, providing a strip of microporous foam and forming a tapered edge along an elongated dimension of the strip of foam. The method further includes securing a tip of the foam at the tapered edge to an end of the elongated handle, spiral winding the foam about the handle so as to overlap a lower edge of a first wrap with an upper edge of a subsequent wrap and securing a trailing end of the foam onto itself.
The method can further include forming a rounded tip at an end of the strip at the tapered edge. The step of securing the tip of the foam to the handle can include heating the handle and contacting the foam to the handle. The step of securing the trailing end of the foam can include searing the foam onto itself.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, in conjunction with the appended claims.